Improvement in grain-separators



J. S. BODGE.

Grain Separator.

Patented Sept. 18, 1856.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JOHN S. DODGE, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAlN-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,052, dated September18, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN S. BODGE, of LaPorte, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Mechanisms for Separatiu g Grain and otherSubstances; and I dot lhereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled inthe art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification in which-Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my invention, partly in section; andFi 2, a side sectional view of the same, taken in the line 00 m, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention is designed as an improve ment on that kind of separatorsthe screens or sieves of which are provided with covers constructed andarranged in such a manner and in such relation with the screens orsieves as to prevent the longer or broader grains, seeds, or otherparticles or substances to be screened or sieved from assuming anoblique or perpendicular position while passing over the screens orsieves, and thereby compelling said longer or broader grains, seeds, orother particles to pass over the screens or sieves flatwise, while theshorter, smaller, and narrower grains, seeds, and other particles arepermitted to pass through the screens or sieves when the latter are inmotion.

My invention consists substantially in a peculiar construction andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby theresult above specified is attained in a more eminent degree, or in amore thorough or perfect manner, than hitherto.

A represents a section of a shoe which contains a movable plate, havinga suitable degree of inclination, fittedin grooves in the shoe, andsecured in position by rods to passing vertically through the sides ofthe shoe. This plate is perforated in sections, forming screens orsieves, as indicated by B B B, smooth surfaces 0 G 0 being left between,as shown in both figures.

At the lower corners of the screen or sieve there are two upright pins,D D, screwed or otherwise secured to the frame of the screen or sieve.

Upon the screen or sieve there are placed three covers, E E E, ofquadrilateral form, but having their upper and lower sides oblique, withthe exception of the lower side of the cover E, the position or angle ofwhich is unimportant. At the upper edge or angle of the upper surface ofeach cover there is a step or barrier, F, and a rectangular slip ofwood, G, is attached to each end of the covers at their under sides, toserve as supports to elevate the covers above the screens or sieves, toafford space for' the passage of the grain, seed, or other particlesbetween the bottoms of the covers and the screens or sieves, and slips Gare secured to the ends of the lower inclined sides of the same. Thelowest and widest of these covers, E, is placed upon the screen or sieveplate, and kept in position by the pins D D.

The slips of wood G are of such a width that the covers are preventedfrom sliding down in contact with each other, and thereby cause spacesor chutes H to be between the covers, which spaces or chutes have aninclined position, corresponding, of course, to the inclination of thesides of the covers. (See Fig. 2.)

The width of the spaces between the sides of the covers-that is to say,the width of the chute H-may be about three-sixtcenths of an inch, (moreor less,) according to circu1n-' stances. These chutes extend the wholewidth of the screens or sieves, and convey the grain, seed, or otherparticles to be operated upon obliquely down to the imperforatedsurfaces 0 O 0 between the perforated portions or screens or sieves B BB. (See Fig. 2.)

In the upper part of the shoe A, above the uppermost cover, E, there issecured a strip, I, the lower side of which is inclined, correspondingto the inclination of the upper side of cover E, and forming the upperside of the v upper chute, H.

In the upper part of the shoe, near the rods a, which secure thescreen-plate in position, there is fitted a movable or detachablestrip,J, over which the grain, seed, or other substance to be operated upon isdelivered just above the first chute, H.

' Under the screen or sieve plate there is an inclined board or chute,K, (shown in Fig. 2,) and to the under side of each coverE l E there isattached, by a clip-plate, A, (see Fig. 2,) a flap or apron, L, offlexible, textile, or other fabric, such as india-rubber, rubbercloth,oil-cloth, painted cloth, or other suitable material which will form apliable sur face and adapt itself to the grain, seed, or other particlesor substances operated upon, and prevent the longer or broader grains,seeds, or other articles or substances from as suming an oblique orperpendicular position while passing over the screens or sieves, thuscompelling said longer or broader grains, seeds, 810., to pass over thescreens or sieves fiatwise, while the shorter, narrower, and smallergrains, seeds, or other particles are permitted to pass through thescreens or sieves when the latter are in motion.

The clip-plates A are attached to the upper inclined side of each cover,thelower ends bein g bent under the covers and over the edges of theflaps or aprons, and secured by screws, and the upper edges are bentover the upper edges of the covers. (See Fig. 2.) Bythe use of theseflaps or aprons the separator is much more perfect than without, as bytheir weight or flexibility they adapt themselves to different sizes ofgrains, seeds, &c., holding them flatwise, and retarding their advanceuntil the separation is more perfectly made, thereby permitting the useof much narrower screens or sieves than would otherwise be necessarywith much greater pitch per foot, and accomplishing more and better workin a given time than can be done without them.

The covers E E E, when constructed of wood, are liable to warp or twist,and also to expand and contract. In order to avoid the warping andtwisting, and to cause the covers to expand and contract as equally aspossible at all points, I construct them of a plurality of pieces I),the grain of which is parallel, said pieces being glued or otherwisesecured together. The slips of wood G G are sawed or cut transversely atshort intervals, to allow for the expansion and contraction of thecovers. The covers are also made hollow, as shown at a and, if necessaryor desired, supports may be placed within the spaces to prevent theparts from springin The quantity of grain, seed, or other particles orsubstances fed or delivered to the machine passes over the strip J abovethe upper chute H, and should not be less than will fully supply thethree chutes, and the first chute H will receive itscomplement-one-third the whole amount-which will be conducted down uponthe first smooth surface, 0, above the screen or sieve B, where all thebroader grains, seeds, or other particles or substances are compelled toassume a horizontal position in relation to the screen or sieve B beforethey arrive at it, compelling such shaped or' sized grains, seeds, &c.,to pass flatwise over the screen or sieve, so that they cannot passthrough 13, while nearly the whole of the smaller grains, seeds, &c.,are permitted to pass through B before reaching the second smooth orunperforated-surface, G.

The portion of grain, seed, or other particles or substances which doesnot pass into the first chute H will pass over the first barrier F andadvance to the second chute H, which portion will be arrested by thesecond barrier F and precipitated down the second chute H.

The third chute H receives its quantity in the same manner, theoperation being precisely the same.

In case the machine is over-fed the surplus grain, seed, or othersubstance will fall from the upper surface of the last cover, E, therebygiving notice of the fact, so that the operator can reduce the feed.

All the grains, seeds, 850., which pass through the screens or sieves BB B fall upon chute K, which discharges them upon other screens notshown, and which are not necessarily connected with this invention.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The construction of covers E E E, of suitablethickness, covering the screens or sieves B B B, with chutes H between,corresponding in number with the smooth or imperforated surfaces 0, andopening obliquely or sloping downward nearly or quite their entirelength, said chutes being so located that when grains, seeds, or othersubstances shall pass downward through them they will fall or beprecipitated directly upon the smooth or imperfora-ted surfaces 0.

2. Constructing and locating the covers E E E in separate sections, withbarriers F at their upper angles, and rectangular slips G G attached tothe ends of said covers to elevate them the requisite height above thescreens or sieves B B B, and to keep them the proper ,distance apart toallow the passage of grains, seeds, or other substances in such mannerthat the oblique or sloping chutes H, through which the grain finds itsway upon the smooth or imperforated surfaces-O above eachscreen orsieve, will retain their proper proportions and positions relative tothe surfaces 0 and above each screen or sieve.

3. The flaps or aprons L, composed of flexible, textile, or otherfabricsuch as rubber, rubber-cloth, oil-cloth, painted cloth, or anypreparation orfabric-so attached to the covers E E E, or to separatepieces to occupy their places, as to adapt themselves to theinequalities-of the screens or sieves B B B, and to grains, seeds, orother substances, which may be passed between said flaps or aprons andthe screens or sieves in such a manner as to prevent the longer orbroader grains, seeds, or other substances from assuming an oblique orperpendicular position while passing over the screens or sieves, thuscompelling said longer or broader grains, seeds, or other substances topass over the screens or sieves flatwise,

while the shorter, narrower, and smaller ing' theirregulnriticsin theirform which would grains, seeds, or other substances are permitotherwiseoccur.

ted to pass through them when the screens or 5. Securing the flaps oraprons I to the covsievcs are in motion. ers E E E by means of theclip-plates A, as

4. The building or constructing of covers E shown and described.

E E E, substantially its herein'shown and JOHN S. BODGE. described, sothat they will expand or contract as equally in all parts as possible,and not be liable to Warp or twist, thereby prevent- 'Witncsses DANIELNoYEs, JOHN MELLEKEM,

